UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
For the meeting of the Board of Graduate Studies to be held on 20 November 2014
Policy on the Engaging of Postgraduates as Teachers
The following guidelines were drafted by a Joint Working Group of the Board of Graduate Studies
and the Board of Undergraduate Studies, and replace the earlier guidelines (BGS 86/08-09). The
guidelines are addressed primarily at departments and relate to engaging current postgraduates as
teachers and not to other sessional teachers. However, departments should ensure that
arrangements for the training, mentoring, supervision and support of other sessional teachers are
consistent with those provided for postgraduates who teach.
The Policy is in-line with the University’s Equal Opportunities Statement that expects all students
and staff to be treated fairly and without discrimination. The Policy outlines the ways in which the
University will ensure equality of opportunity in promoting and recruiting for postgraduate teaching
positions. The full text of the University Equal Opportunity policy can be found here:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/equalops/equal_opportunities_statement/
Publications of Departmental Practices


All departments engaging postgraduates in teaching roles should publish a statement of
departmental practice relating to the engagement of postgraduates as teachers on the
departmental website. The statement should make reference to the University Guidelines and
indicate how these are implemented within the department.
Departments should identify one member of staff who is responsible for ensuring best practice in
supporting postgraduates who teach, and who can provide liaison with the Learning and
Development Centre.
Deployment of Postgraduate Teachers




Postgraduates may be engaged as teachers at any level but only if an assessment has been made
of the student’s qualifications and ability to teach at that level.
Departments should have in place clear arrangements for making such assessments. Such
arrangements need not be excessively formal and might for instance involve a review of the
student’s CV coupled with an interview with two academics one of whom is the module leader.
The form of assessment should be proportionate to the amount of teaching and a less formal
assessment may be appropriate for very small amounts of teaching.
Postgraduates should not normally undertake the role of module convenors.
Postgraduates may be involved in marking and examining at any level at which they are assessed
as suitable to teach, subject to appropriate supervision and moderation (discussed below).
Recruitment


Whereas it is desirable to make teaching opportunities available to postgraduates, the status of a
postgraduate does not carry a right to have such an opportunity.
Departments should establish a transparent procedure for recruiting postgraduates and a
designated person should have responsibility for this task. Information about the process and
available positions should be published on the departmental website.

Normally, recruitment should be on the basis of a person specification setting out required
qualifications, skills and competences (to include in all cases skills in language and
communication, and appropriate training). Less formal recruitment procedures may be
appropriate for small amounts of teaching.
Training




All postgraduates engaged to teach should undertake prior training.
Training may be by attending the Introduction to Academic Professional Practice course delivered
centrally or provided by the department. Prior training and experience may be taken into account
in assessing whether a candidate has received suitable training.
Departments are encouraged to establish tailored training for their postgraduates and other parttime teachers.
As part of their training, all postgraduate teachers should be briefed by the department about
relevant departmental teaching practices prior to starting to teach.
Workloads and Duties





A postgraduate should be offered teaching only if the department judges that it would be
possible to perform the work whilst continuing to make reasonable progress with their studies
and without detriment to the student’s ability to submit their dissertation within the normal
period of registration.
In determining the amount of teaching that a postgraduate may be asked to perform, a
department should take into account the expectation that a full-time postgraduate student will
devote 1800 hours per year to their studies.
Departments must take account of the requirements of external funding bodies and any visa
implications when allocating teaching to postgraduates.
When a postgraduate is engaged to teach, it should be made clear at the outset exactly what is
expected in terms of class contact, preparation, consultation hours with students, marking or
other assessment, feedback, attendance at meetings and invigilation.
Departments should make clear what duties are covered by the remuneration to be offered to PGs
who teach.
Mentoring, Supervision and Support






Each postgraduate teacher should have access to a teaching mentor, who may be the Director of
Undergraduate Studies or another member of academic staff. They will be able to advise on
teaching issues, to discuss problems and to provide feedback as appropriate.
Heads of Department should recognize the role of the teaching mentor in appropriate ways.
All postgraduate teachers should have separate support and supervision linked to their specific
teaching role, normally by the module leader or module lecturer.
As part of the ongoing support provided by the academic department, postgraduates who teach
should be adequately briefed as to the expectations of their role
Postgraduates who undertake marking must be briefed on assessment methods, marks scales and
descriptors, the criteria to be applied and marking standards.
Where a postgraduate undertakes marking of summative assignments for which moderation is
required, the moderation should be carried out by a permanent member of staff or equivalent.
Normally, second marking should take place where a postgraduate is inexperienced but other
forms of moderation may be used where the postgraduate has gained relevant experience and
has been assessed as competent. Marking of formative assessments should be subject to
supervision but need not be subject to formal second marking or moderation.


Postgraduates who teach should be invited to give feedback to their departments about the quality
and effectiveness of the training, supervision and support which they receive.
Departments should ensure that postgraduates who teach have opportunities to observe more
experienced teachers and are made aware of, and able to take up, further training opportunities
available through the Learning Development Centre.
Review



The performance of postgraduate teachers should be monitored by module leaders and the
teaching mentor using student feedback and other mechanisms which might include teaching
observation.
Renewal of a teaching appointment should be subject to an informed judgement that teaching
has been satisfactory and there should be no presumption that appointments will be renewed.
Departments must have mechanisms to appropriately investigate and act upon concerns raised
by students and/or mentors about the quality of teaching by post- graduate teachers, including
provision to replace teaching if the situation is deemed to merit such action.
Engagement with the Academic and Teaching Community



Postgraduates who teach should be respected as members of the teaching community and
should have access to the facilities and resources necessary to fulfil their role
The University encourages students to engage with teaching and learning development events
facilitated by the LDC and others, as well as, where appropriate participating in departmental
forums regarding teaching.
Departments and the University should ensure that postgraduates who teach have opportunities
to share good practice, discuss matters of common interest and voice common concerns.
*Subject to final ratification